CEYLON COINS, pl. xxxv.

After wading through the doubtful maze of obscurity exemplified by the foregoing coins, where we have almost in vain sought a feeble landmark to guide us, even as to the race or the country whence they sprung; it is quite a relief to fall upon a series of coins possessed of true and legitimate value as unequivocal evidence of the truth of history.

The peculiar coins of ancient Ceylon have been long known to collectors: they have been frequently described and depicted in books, and the characters they bear identified as the Devanagarí, but little more. Marsden and Wilson, as will be seen below, are quite at fault in regard to them, and so might we all have remained had not the Hon. Mr. G. Turnour published his Epitome of the Ceylon History, from the Buddhist Chronicles. Upon my publishing, in pl. xxiv. fig. 22, a sketch of the coin which ranks first in the present plate, and suggesting the reading Sri Mayátraya Malla, I remarked that, although princes of this family name were common in Nipál, I could find none in the Ceylon list to correspond. This observation elicited the following note from Mr. Turnour, which, in justice to his sagacious and correct prediction, ought to have been published long ago.

6

NOTE ON HINDU COIN, fig. 22, of pl. 1. [xxiv.] vol. iv.-In your valuable paper on Hindú coins, you say that the name of Malla does not appear in my Catalogue. He is, doubtless, identical with the Sahassa Mallowa of my 'Epitome,' published in the Almanac of 1833. In the translation No. 6 of the Inscription published in 1834, you will also find him called Sahasa Malla. That inscription contains a date, which

led to an important correction in my chronological table, explained at page 176. He commenced his reign in A.D. 1200. His being a member of the Kalinga royal family-his boastful visits to India-and Dambodinia (which you have called Dípaldínna) becoming the capital in about thirty years after his reign, where the former similar coins were found—all tend to shew that the coin in question may be safely given to him. You will observe also by the inscription that his title was Sirri Sangaba Kálinga Wijaya bahu,' surnamed Sahasa Malla.' Kandy, 17th March, 1836. GEORGE TURNOUR.'

There was no other Malla in the list, and therefore the assignment was probable; but I laid little stress on it from the total variance of the rest of the name. In August, 1836, Capt. Ord, of Kandy, sent me impressions of the coins he had met with, and pointed out that the first letter of the third line was not formed like, but open, like द. To pursue the train of small causes leading to an important result, when lithographing the Dihlí Inscription of the 10th century in vol. v. page 726, the very first letter,, struck me as resembling, in the squareness of its form () the Ceylonese letter I had before mistaken for. The enigma was thus in a moment solved, and every subsequent reading (for coins of this prince are exceedingly common, compared with others) has confirmed the reading Helga Sri mat Súhasa Malla, in accordance with Turnour's conjecture. In some few specimens the t of mat is either omitted through ignorance, or worn away; but in general it is quite distinct. Marsden's reading was Mayá dayá

malla.

The ice once broken, it became comparatively easy to find owners for all the other specimens either published in former notices, or existing unpublished in cabinets in the Island.